Dubai now has a vertical farm

04. 01. 2018

The first vertical farm in Dubai

For many years, a number of countries have been searching for a solution to the problem of lack of space for growing various plantations (mainly greens and vegetables). The growth of the planet’s population predicts significant shortages of land resources throughout the Earth, but for now this problem exists in individual cities or countries. Vertical agriculture became an interesting solution.

The buildings are located right in the city, and therefore their designs and appearance attach great importance. With a professional approach, such “multi-storey greenhouses” will not only help in solving the task, but also “as a bonus” they will plant the city. Some companies have been engaged in vertical farming for about ten years. And this topic is becoming more popular.

A vertical truss can be arranged in different ways, in spite of a similar principle. For example, the company Urban Crops uses a special rotating under the blue and red LED frame, with plants installed in it. That is, even the sunlight in this case is not needed. Watering can also be carried out in various ways (spraying roots with fog – aeroponics, or immersion in a special pool – hydroponics). Moreover, water can be reused, extracted from the air, previously cleaned with ultraviolet light.

And now, in the UAE, the Badia Farms project started working.

This system allows to grow 18 kinds of the most widespread vegetables. It does not require pesticides, it is based on hydroponics. All plants get everything they need to grow from a specially prepared mixture. This approach is good because it requires 90% less water (compared with “normal” cultivation). And due to the fact that the soil itself is absent, plants do not need large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers. They, again, do not need sunlight. The Badia Farms system can grow basil, dill, rukola, radish and others.

According to the Gulf News, today the Arab Emirates buys 80% of all consumed vegetables. And the country’s farms are very small. Because this innovation was very useful. This system will reduce the cost of production, and even make the process of growing more environmentally friendly, since it does not contaminate the soil with pesticides.